Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had another chapter in the sad saga of Vishal Makker, a neurosurgeon in Portland, Oregon identified by WSJ as having the highest rate of multiple spinal surgeries on individual patients in the entire country. His rate of repeat surgery is 10 times the national average. He has performed as many as seven spinal fusions on a single person.

Here’s the update

-He’s been booted off the local hospital's medical staff.(One more victory for transparency!)

-The state medical board has launched an investigation, apparently with the FBI

-He received over a half million dollars from a spinal implant supplier (Omega) over a 16 month period. This apparently represents 25% of the revenues from supplies for his surgeries with the company’s products.

The WSJ has also posted a letter from a consultant from Omega, promising not only these payments, which are highly likely to be viewed as illegal kickbacks, but also promising to refer workers compensation patients to physicians participating with him.